LOSING THE PILOT
Luke Mullender had rewired his 1969 BSA B44 Victor Special and fitted a Wassells electronic ignition and Wassells 930 Concentric carburettor – but it had a voracious appetite for spark plugs and ran rich, regardless of mixture settings. It also seemed to rev up occasionally as though the throttle was sticking (but it wasn’t). Fine on the open road, it was awful below 30mph. Said Luke: “When I bought the bike it was pretty shoddy – but it was a two-kick starter and would run till the cows came home. Help!”
I suggested he put the old carb back on, which ruled out the ignition. Luke has fitted a new battery, so, having ascertained that the carb was the trouble I suggested he look at the pilot system, which controls low-speed riding, and maybe also the float height. Luke came back to me a few days later to say that while cleaning up the old carb to try, he compared it with the replacement and found it had been supplied with the pilot jet missing. That’ll do it, Luke! Just because something’s new doesn’t mean it isn’t the problem!